So, I don't post on here much (only a few since I joined) and honestly, I haven't run a search to see how many other people have ranted about this but the garbage is driving me CRAZY!!!Here in Duluth I fish all the streams for brook trout and go further afield to Fish Lake, Island Lake, Rice Lake, Pelican, Rainy, etc and everywhere I go the garbage is overwhelming. It burns me enough that people who don't care about nature or lakes or fish or birds or whatever pollute and leave their garbage but when I find garbage from the very people who profess their love of these areas it drives me into a rage.

What kind of mentality is it that makes people think it's ok to leave worm cups, broken tackle, chip bags, pop and beer cans, you name it, in the very places that they choose to spend their leisure time??? Who is teaching kids that it's ok to just drop their crap on the road or lake side when they are done with it? I see this CRAP EVERYWHERE!!!

I can't count the number of times I have opted to pick up garbage instead of fish and yet I am fighting what feels like a losing battle. Am I teaching people that someone else will clean up after them? I don't want to play in a garbage dump so I do something about it. These days though, people are hell bent on their "freedoms" that people get shot or jumped for pointing out mistakes. It sickens me.I have seen trucks with NRA stickers dumping deer carcasses along the road, I have seen trucks with BASS stickers leaving bags of garbage at public put ins...WHY WOULD YOU POLLUTE WHAT YOU SAY YOU LOVE???

This site seems like a great community of folks and honestly, I am proud to be here. If I have offeneded anyone then TOUGH! You are part of the problem and you offend me! I have to assume, though, that the people here are respectful of our resources. Can I just ask, that next time you head out you bring a bag and spend even five munites picking up garbage? Hell, have your kids do it while you are putting in the boat and buy them a burger afterwards... No one person needs to pick it all up but if all of us pick up just a little in addition to our own, well...you'll enjoy your trip that much more...

It's one of my pet peeves. I can't stand even a cigarette but being thrown out of my boat on the Minnesota River. I finally have that point across to a few of people I fish with. I use empty peanut cans with the plastic lids for all Cigarette smokers in my boat.

I try to pick up as much crap as I can but sometimes thats not possible. I do think most of the litter in our lakes comes from the lazy slobs that Ice Fish!

I couldn't agree with you more, I can't stand it! I was taught as a kid if you pack it in, you can pack it out, plus it'll be lighter when it's empty! When I go out I try to bring along 1 or 2 plastic grocery bags, they are free when you buy something that is just going to become garbage anyways, so why not? but more often than not, they are not enough to keep up with all the litter bugs junk Reminds me of a funny story, a childhood friends Dad got so sick of ppl dumping trash by his cabin, one day while cleaning up a pile he found a piece of paper with the "owners" name on it, he put it in a new plastic bag then boxed it up nicely so it didn't leak or smell, and mailed it to him C.O.D. We all would have loved to have seen the guy open it after paying the postage.